A couple in Odisha's Balasore district is fighting for their lives after unidentified attackers allegedly set them on fire while they were asleep.
The incident occurred late Tuesday night in Chakrada, with police suspecting the attack may have stemmed from enmity.
Bijay Behera and his wife, Aarti Behera, were sleeping when the attackers poured petrol on them before setting them afire.
Neighbours rushed to the spot, broke down the door to rescue the couple, and rushed them to a local health centre and later to the district hospital in Balasore.
The couple was referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhubaneswar, where both remained in a critical condition.
Police are examining all angles, including previous rivalry and personal enmity, and have recovered a petrol bottle, a mobile phone, and other material from the scene.
A family member suspects the attack may have been an act of revenge linked to a dispute involving the couple's son, who eloped with a woman a few months ago.
